Fiddle player Rowan Piggott and banjoist Joe Danks first hit the scene as Old Spot in 2023, with their fifteen-track self-titled debut album. A duo of excellent musical ability and a love for American Old-time music, their sound combines strong traditional songs and tunes with a modern, spacious approach. Old Spot (II) continues exploring these traditions and fine-tunes; there is a discernible difference in the sound, with a suggestion of minimalism around some songs and a precise nature to the playing.
The former is evident on the traditional tune Tom Dooley, a beautifully played banjo piece with delicate swirls of five-string violin winding around the core melody and vocal. Joe’s clear singing is ideal for the song, with the underlying melancholy bringing to mind Oscar Issac’s Hang Me, Oh Hang Me from Inside Llewyn Davis. The playing too is great, with a quietly experimental approach to the arrangement that demonstrates the confidence and ability of both players.
Things get heavier on And Am I Born to Die?, a song from the Sacred Harp Tradition, here played with plectrum-driven gourd banjo, lower fiddle notes and even lower bass from the always great Ben Nicholls. The sound of the gourd is interesting here, bringing a more elastic character than a standard five-string banjo, and the vocals, with two voices layered to create an echoey effect, are appropriately eerie.
Elsewhere, Queen of the Earth & Child of the Skies is a lovely example of an Irish tune changing in the hands of an Appalachian fiddler, in this case, West Virginian Edden Hammons and an Irish piece, The Blackbird. Rowan’s fiddle playing here incorporates both his Irish heritage and the American tradition he loves, with a strong melody backed by a low shruti box drone that allows Joe’s tentative banjo notes in at the halfway point, then switches to a more traditionally Irish style. It is a deeply felt piece, played with assured sensitivity.
More than holding its own among these tested tunes is Rowan’s Don’t Mind It, an accomplished song built on a sturdy fiddle refrain and backed by five-string banjo and thumping bass. The violin has a lovely burr on this tune, lending the music a bit of muscle that the bass notes accentuate. Played at a steady pace, this is a very deliberate and solid piece of music that is easy to get lost in.
Best of all is the final song, Square & Compass, an original instrumental in two parts written as a celebration of musical connection and one that embodies the duo’s penchant for simplicity and precision. The space between notes here, along with the respect given to each one played, gives this piece a clear and solid identity. The long pause between parts also screams confidence and shows us how impressively this pair are developing. Old Spot (II) is a significant leap forward; a very accomplished set from two players who clearly love their craft.
Old Spot (II) (April 24th, 2026) Scribe Records SRCD25
Pre-Order Old Spot (II): https://oldspotmusic.bandcamp.com/album/old-spot-ii